Earth Day Activities At Work: Get Your Team Involved in Saving the Planet

Earth Day! It's like a whole day dedicated to our beloved planet! Can you imagine that? From planting trees to cleaning up litter, there's nothing quite like getting down and dirty to show our Mother Earth some love.

On April 22, 1970, the first Earth Day was formally observed. Since then, this day is observed annually on April 22. It is devoted to preserving the ecosystem and bringing attention to climate change. And also encouraging people to take action to safeguard our world.

The HR schedule now recognizes this day as a significant occasion. They encourage staff participation in eco-friendly initiatives and enjoyable Earth Day events.

Corporate leaders should acknowledge Earth Day's significance by instituting workplace events. They can host activities and announce new efforts to combat global warming.

History of Earth Day

Although our planet is a wonderful place, it requires our support to survive. Over a billion people observe Earth Day to protect the Earth from pollution and destruction. Participating in activities like cleaning trash and planting plants makes our world healthier.

A Wisconsin-based US senator initiated the first Earth Day celebration in 1970. It was initiated to increase public knowledge of environmental problems. Rallies were held all over the nation.

By the end of the year, the Environmental Protection Agency had been established by the American government. Over 140 nations worldwide participated in Earth Day celebrations by the year 1990.

Suggested Read: Impacts Of Green HR Practices On Employees And Sustainable Business

Why should companies be concerned about Earth Day?

Planning how to use this day to set aside time to care for the environment is essential as Earth Day approaches. More importantly, to remind your employees that your company is dedicated to becoming more sustainable. And also preserving the environment.

Employees who work from home must also contribute in their way. Make April 22 your day to spread the word about your dedication and the details of any green initiatives your business may pursue.

1. Cost Cutting

Saving money and resources that can be used elsewhere will result from reducing the use of electricity, water, and waste in the workplace. Simple adjustments like not heating an unoccupied workplace or adding motion-activated lights can reduce these expenses.

2. Values of Consumers

Focusing on your company's environmental impact has financial benefits. It also creates a favorable brand perception among customers. According to BusinessWire, at least 60% of customers worldwide consider sustainability to be one of the most critical purchasing factors.

According to the research, over 30% of consumers are willing to spend more for sustainable goods. In the future, sustainability will probably become "the expectation and not the exception."

3. Values of Employees

In the present era, employees are more interested in factors other than just job designation and salary. By 2025, Gen Z and Millennials will likely make up most of the workforce. These groups pursue work with socially and environmentally conscious businesses. They prioritize job offers based on flexibility and perks.

Companies can better their global influence while attracting and retaining top talent. They can do so by developing a sustainable impact program or strategy.

Suggested Read: 11 Major Sustainability Challenges to Address

17 Best Earth Day Activities For Work

We've assembled a list of traditional and simple Earth Day tasks you can do with your coworkers to honor our planet.

These tasks will motivate your team to practice greater environmental awareness, support sustainability, and improve collaboration within your business.

So get set to celebrate our planet and have some joy as we begin.

1. Create a sustainability task for the entire workplace

A fun competition or sustainability task for the entire workplace is a wonderful way to spread knowledge of Earth Day. This might entail:

• Lowering water and energy use.
• Limiting the use of single-use plastics.
• Enlisting the help of team members to adopt more environmentally friendly behaviors.

Teams that develop the most innovative ideas or have the largest positive effects on their surroundings could win rewards.

2. Introduce A Recycling Program With Rewards

This Earth Day at work, encourage staff by giving them gift vouchers or coupons as rewards for their dedication to sustainability. Make it a challenge for employees to use as little plastic as possible that week, like reusable plastic. The winner is the one with the least quantity of plastic waste! This will motivate employees to take part in your disposal program.

3. Green Transportation Challenge

Give employees a week to locate renewable transportation to and from work. This might entail biking, strolling, utilizing public transportation, or carpooling. Allow employees to work remotely when feasible. You can also space out their shifts to prevent busy periods for public transportation.

This Earth Day, provide reward programs to employees who commute less carbon-intensively. For example, discounts on public transportation or memberships in bike-sharing programs. You could also implement a carpooling program within the business. This will urge your employees to ride together whenever feasible.

4. Encourage Meatless Mondays

Introducing a meat-free Monday program on Earth Day can motivate employees to make thoughtful food decisions. Along with lowering your business' carbon impact, this effort will support healthful eating among the workforce. Think about offering rewards to employees who take part in the program.

The Vantage Fit app puts the needs of its users above anything else. It is for corporates who care about their fitness, diet, and overall health. Vantage Fit encourages healthy behaviors and lifestyles.

Monitoring your diet might be difficult. To make it possible, Vantage Fit has a catalog with more than 4,000 food options. The catalog offers crucial nutritional information about each food item, such as carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

Additional features include a calorie tracker, a BMI calculator, and customizable trophies and badges. Fitness Points and Gift Cards are the incentives offered by Vantage Fit.

You may share your accomplishments, learn from others, and accomplish your objectives with the help of a growing community for fitness and well-being. Utilize Vantage Fit to register your meals, monitor what you consume, and take charge of your diet!

5. Include environmental programs as part of corporate responsibility policy

By incorporating environmentally promising practices into the corporate responsibility policy, you can demonstrate your dedication to a sustainable world. Ways to lessen your environmental effect and take action to improve sustainability should be included in this policy.

Below are a few ways your business can go green:

• Setting up water bottle refill stations.
• Moving to LED lighting.
• Urging staff to pack their meals in reusable receptacles.

6. Host a massive green fundraising event

Plan a charity activity to collect funds for environmental causes. The funds collected could be used:

• To place solar panels on private residences.
• Offer scholarships for environmental studies
• Finance conservation initiatives in your neighborhood.

This kind of gathering will not only aid in funding worthy causes. But also in spreading consciousness of the significance of protecting our environment.

7. Opportunities To Volunteer

Set up volunteering possibilities. Employees could participate in voluntary neighborhood projects. For example, painting fences, tidying parks, shore clean-ups, and tree-planting campaigns. Consider setting up online volunteer opportunities if your workplace is or partly distant.

Alternatively, if you can meet in person, look for methods to support regional organizations and their projects. These events will not only give your team a chance to improve their community, but they will also give them a chance to connect.

8. Routine clean-ups

Create a group of employees who will adopt a roadway and perform routine clean-ups. This is a fantastic method to contribute to the neighborhood and the ecosystem.

Plan a regular clean-up day at a local park or river to maintain a clean and secure environment.

9. Establish a Green Team

Create a green team or committee to oversee sustainable workplace project planning and execution. Environmental specialists, advocates for sustainability, and other passionate people should be on this squad.

Corporate green teams should include all employees. Their members should be committed to advancing environmentally responsible behaviors at work.

10. Get an energy audit

Working with an environmental auditing organization can help you :

• Find areas for improvement.
• Lessen your carbon impact.
• Lower your energy costs.
• Enhance the efficiency of your entire company.

The right organization can assist you in navigating the available incentives. It can also determine which opportunities will serve your organization best. For example, selecting renewable energy sources and creating a plan to help you green up from the ground up. Available utility incentives can make energy efficiency more affordable for your business.

11. Develop a Program to Reduce Waste Internally

Waste production by office employees is common and detrimental to the ecosystem. You can reduce your office's carbon impact by:

• By building or upgrading recycling stations close to common or cafeteria areas.
• You can encourage your staff to reduce waste by establishing team- or company-wide objectives and monitoring them.
• Assigning your green team the responsibility of creating accountability for adhering to recycling rules.
• Creating exciting incentives for the staff members who recycle and use recyclable materials the most.
• Enlighten them to reduce, reuse and recycle.

12. Environmental Awareness

Engaging an environmental specialist or charity representative to talk with your team about sustainability and the environment is one of the best methods to observe Earth Day.

You can accomplish this in various ways, such as scheduling a live class, going off-site to learn in the field, or scheduling a virtual show all your employees can access from anywhere.

13. Recognize employees who care for the planet

We're referring to the person who commutes by foot, or bicycle, brings their lunch from home daily in the same reusable receptacle, fills their water bottle at the faucet, and recycles regularly.
These staff members took the initiative and turned their environmental dedication from words into deeds, and they have the green credentials to back it up.

By praising them for their dedication to the environment, you can let them know that you appreciate everything they do and inspire other employees to do the same.

14. Set up a nature hike

One of the best ways to honor Earth Day is to spend time outside in nature, planting trees, or participating in environmental projects. We defend what we cherish, and a powerful connection to nature is good for our bodily and emotional well-being.

So gather everyone together for a stroll through woodland or a walk through a nearby park to spend quality time as a team in nature. You can go on a self-guided walk or hire a local naturalist to enhance your experience!

15. Onboard an Expert to Talk to Your Employees

Inviting specialists to speak on sustainable development to their staff is one of the finest Earth Day event ideas. These events lead to genuine transformation in individuals.

If your employees support your objectives, there are many fascinating subjects to discuss and a staggering amount to learn.

Discuss on:

• Recycling, i.e., focus on paper, plastic, e-waste, and food
• Effectiveness of energy use at work
• The significance of new technology in more effective recycling
• The effects of climate warming on businesses
• Using green cleaning products
• Bike or carpool to work initiatives

16. Eco-workplace guidance

Creating a workplace eco-guide is a fantastic method to increase employee environmental awareness. You can distribute this leaflet to your staff on Earth Day to help them comprehend your business's steps to become a more ecological enterprise.

List the following elements:

• What should and shouldn't be discarded.
• Where your staff can obtain filtered water rather than buying it in plastic bottles.
• How to request individual sustainable flatware for staff use and reduce the use of single-use plastic.
• Tips & Tricks for Composting.

If your workplace is entirely virtual, you can write a manual on how your staff members can work more sustainably from home. Encourage them to unplug their devices at the end of the workday, put energy-efficient lighting at their desks, and go paperless whenever possible.

17. Love For Plants

Everyone loves a tiny tabletop plant. Give your staff a small plant to keep on their workstations and take them to a session on plant maintenance to help them cultivate a green thumb at home. Plants not only add color and brightens up any house or office, but they also benefit your staff in many ways.

The presence of plants in your work area reduces stress and provides motivation. Giving your staff members something to lean on for emotional breaks is a wonderful way to keep them content and healthy.

Why is this a wonderful celebration of Earth Day? Your team will learn a lot more in a plant-care class. Like,

• The advantages of having plants around the house and office.
• Repotting plant seeds and propagating plants sustainably.
• Choosing the best plants for the light and area where they will be kept.

Suggested Read: Reasons Why Every Organization Should Offer Environmental Wellness

Takeaway

Earth Day is a fantastic opportunity to involve your staff and hasten the development of your green program.

Companies must modify their strategy for sustainability in the workplace as more employees work from home or remotely. Since your employees' homes now contribute to your carbon footprint, your sustainability program may require new eco-friendly ideas and increased employee participation.

This blog addresses some Earth Day ideas for employees and strategies for involving employees. It points out ways to motivate them to contribute to environmental preservation. And also reduce carbon emissions to combat climate change.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

1. When and what is commemorated on Earth Day?

Earth Day is a yearly celebration held on April 22. It promotes environmental sustainability and conservation. The first Earth Day was observed in 1970.

2. What are some possible activities for Earth Day?

There are various ways to promote environmental conservation on Earth Day. This includes:

• Planting trees or flowers.
• Planning neighborhood clean-ups.
• Taking part in the beach or park clean-ups.
• Consuming less electricity.
• Donating to regional environmental organizations.

3. How can I increase the sustainability of my Earth Day activities?

You may choose activities that have a beneficial influence on the environment. For example, planting trees or encouraging sustainable transportation to make your Earth Day celebrations more sustainable. You can also use eco-friendly goods like reusable bags and water bottles.